


The Young And Not-So-Useless

by uptopcomeon



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Angst, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-26
Updated: 2012-05-06
Packaged: 2017-10-28 04:45:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/303859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uptopcomeon/pseuds/uptopcomeon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After some mocking (that ended with just one hard glare from Harvey), one weird trip to the bathroom and two six-packs of cheap beer Mike brought (for him only, since Harvey can't drink while taking medication) and two Star Trek movies, here they are. The blond associate visibly drunk and Harvey thinking about his ass.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Sorry if there's any mistake. It's unbetaed and English is not my native language. :p  
> This might become multichapter, I'm not sure yet.

"You'd be a great Iron Man", Mike stated, staring at Harvey thoughtfully after moving a little bit closer to where his boss was seating.

"What?"

"Yeah, and Donna would be like Pepper Potts! But wait," the associate furrowed his eyebrows thinking about something Harvey couldn't follow, so he just waited for the rest of the sentence - which never came. "I'm hungry. Do you have some food in this palace, your highness?" Harvey nodded his head towards the kitchen and smirked at the sight of Mike having trouble to stand up and staying that way. That boy really needs to learn how to drink like an adult already, he thought. After a few seconds, Mike finally considered safe for him to walk without breaking any of his boss's expensive stuff and left the living room. It is important to point out that Harvey definitely did not noticed how great Mike's ass looked on that tight blue jeans he was wearing. Seriously.

There's also a plausible explanation to why he was at his condo with the kid he works with every day and not at some fancy bar trying to get - actually, getting - women to his bed on a Saturday night. That afternoon, Harvey went to his boxing training and how the hell that happened he didn't know, but he managed to sprain his ankle. His instructor took him to the doctor, who said he should rest and that he wasn't allowed to do anything with his foot, obviously, but that didn't stop Harvey to complain about it. He called Ray and the driver helped him go up to his condo and settle on the couch - where he is until now.

By being unable to walk, Harvey couldn't do much. He couldn't get something to eat, to drink and God, he couldn't even go to the bathroom. He felt useless. And by realizing that he thought, "Oh, I know someone that is really pro at being useless". So he called Mike, and after some mocking (that ended with just one hard glare from Harvey), one weird trip to the bathroom and two six-packs of cheap beer Mike brought (for him only, since Harvey can't drink while taking medication) and two Star Trek movies, here they are. The blond associate visibly drunk and Harvey thinking about his ass. (Don't act like you don't know. Of course he looked at it. He's only human after all...)

Mike returned from the kitchen with his mouth full and holding a Nutella jar. "Are you kidding me? How old are you? Twelve?", Harvey said rolling his eyes. Mike just shrugged and sat close to his boss, their knees touching. "I couldn't find anything else and this is _reaaaaally_ good", he explained, taking a few more chocolate from the jar with his finger, sucking it and moaning. Harvey know he should just look away but he couldn't take his eyes from his associate. Mike couldn't help but notice the way Harvey was looking at him, so he took his finger off his mouth and asked if he wanted some Nutella too. When he was about to answer that no, he was fine, Mike dropped his finger on the jar once more and draw a line of chocolate slowly on Harvey's neck. The other man freezed. "What the hell are yo-", Harvey's question was cut when he felt Mike's lips on his skin. Mike slipped his tongue to get all the chocolate off his boss and then started to kiss his neck, nipping it softly with his skin now and then.

Harvey was still freezed. His brain wasn't working very well and he didn't know what was happening. Was Mike really kissing and licking him? When did that happen? Should he stop it? It felt so good to have Mike's mouth on him...But no, this wasn't right. "Mike", he said, sounding not so firm as he wanted to. "Mike", he tried again and this time his associate stopped and lifted his head, looking at him with those big blue eyes. "Yes, Harvey?"

"You are drunk", he stated the obvious. "I think you should...we should sleep". Harvey was still not thinking straight, and it was harder to do that while staring at Mike's pink lips.

"Together? I agree", Mike said, getting up from his seat on the couch, putting the Nutella on the coffee table and kneeling on Harvey's lap, with one leg at each side of Harvey's. He put his hands on Harvey's chest and inclined a little bit on his direction. "No, Mike, this is...that can't happen", Harvey said, contradicting what he was doing: holding the young man's waist with both hands and sliding them up and down on his back. "It can and it will. Come on, I know you want this", Mike said, brushing his lips on Harvey's and palming his boss's dick through his trousers. Harvey sighed - no, he _moaned_ \- under the touch and that was all Mike needed to move an inch forward and start kissing Harvey. The kiss began slow and Mike could feel Harvey's hands pressing him closer into his chest. He pulled away just a little bit and made his way to Harvey's neck, nipping and kissing his skin.

His tongue did a wonderful job and when Harvey thought that this little make out session couldn't get any better, Mike rolled his hips and their erections touched, making both of them moan. Mike continued to move his hips and kiss Harvey's neck, while the other breathed heavily and lifted his head, giving Mike more to work with.

After some time of just kissing and touching, the younger man took Harvey's ear between his teeth and said, "Fuck me". All the blood on Harvey's body went straight to his dick and he forgot how to breathe for a second. To have Mike dancing on his lap, kissing him, grabbing his cock and sucking his neck was something he could handle, but now, being asked to be fucked, oh God, that was way too much. With all the strenght he had - and it wasn't a lot -, he put his hands on Mike's shoulders and pulled him away so that he could look him in the eyes. "Mike", he started, unable to look away from those blue eyes now full of desire and lust, "I want to do that. I really do. I want you to ride me and come just because of the feeling of my cock in you, god, I want to make you come so bad", he told Mike and moved forward, brushing his lips on Mike's and finally closing his eyes. "Then do it. I can suck your dick too, if that's what you want. Come on, boss, let me _please_ taste you. Wouldn't you like me to do that? To lick you, to kiss you, to suck you so hard you'd see stars?", he said, mouth still on Harvey's and starting to unbuckle the other man's belt. "God, Mike, don't say things like that. It only gets harder". Mike answered that he could feel it and giggled, making Harvey roll his eyes."I'm serious", Harvey said with a firmer tone in his voice. "You're only making this because you're drunk." Mike started to protest but his boss cut him, " _If_ that's something you'd still like to do when you wake up tomorrow, then we'll talk about it. Right now, I think we should both sleep. Not together", he added the last two words after Mike started to smirk, but the smile faded as soon as Harvey finished what he had to say. "You're boring. I hate you", the associate stated, while leaning his forehead into Harvey's shoulder.

The older man snorted a laugh and patted Mike's back. "Come on, get up. You can take the bed, I'll be sleeping here tonight. It's not like I can get up and easily walk away with my foot like this anyway", he shrugged and Mike sobered for a moment, getting up of Harvey's lap in a matter of seconds. "Oh my God, Harvey, your foot! Are you ok? Did I hurt you? Are you ok? Do you need something? Are you ok?"

Harvey smiled, amused. "I'm fine, rookie, but I could drink some water right now. To calm things down. Can you take that for me?" Mike nodded and ran into the kitchen, but not before stumbling and falling down. "I'm ok, don't worry, I'm ok!", the younger man said, getting up and cleaning the nonexistent dust off his ass. Harvey rolled his eyes, took a good look on Mike's ass and hid his face in his hands. "Oh, God, I can't believe I want this useless kid".


	2. Chapter 2

_Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz._

  


  


"Shut uuuup! Let me sleep!", Mike whined in his thoughts but unfortunately, that wasn't enough for his cellphone to stop vibrating. After a few more " _Bzzzz"_ s from the iPhone and " _I don't know who is calling, but I hate you already_ "s from its owner, Mike finally propped himself up on his elbows and took the phone from under the pillow. The room was dark and the light that came from the device blinded him for some seconds before he could adjust his vision and read on the cellphone screen, "Harvey's med". He had set up his alarm to ring the times he should give his boss painkillers. He finally pressed the stop button and got out of the bed, making his way to the kitchen. His head hurt from all the beers he drank last night and he considered for a minute taking one of Harvey's drugs but decided against it. He was already sleeping on the other man's bed, while the other was on the couch. That just didn't seem right to him. 

  


  


With a glass of water in one hand and two pills in another, Mike entered the living room and found Harvey laying in what seemed to be a very uncomfortable position. He crouched down and tried to wake Harvey. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty. It's time to take some pills. Not the fun, illegal ones, but anyways. Wake up", he whispered. No response. "Harveyyy...", he tried one more time, singsonging his boss name and gently poking his chest. Still no response. Mike put the glass and meds on the coffee table - near the Nutella jar - and breathed in and out slowly once, trying not to panic. "Harvey, please tell me you're not dead. Seriously, wake up", he shook his shoulders. "For God's sake, wake up. You can't be dead. I mean, can you picture the headlines? 'Hotshot lawyer dies, cause of death: sprained ankle'. How sad is that? I bet you'd come from the dead just so you could die in a proper way", Mike started mumbling. He did that when he was nervous. Or maybe there was still some alcohol in his system. Either way, Harvey hadn't woken up yet, so Mike continued talking. "Or  'Hotshot lawyer dies because his associate sexyness was too much for him to handle'. How about that, huh? Way more awesome. Come on, Harvey!". This time, he really started to worry. Mike put his hand on Harvey's chest and inclined his head, putting his ear near the older man's mouth to check if he was really breathing. 

  


  


"Too annoying to handle, you mean" Harvey said, brushing his lips on Mike's ear and making him jump in surprise. "Holy shit, Harvey, you nearly gave me a heart attack!", he said, with his hand on the left side of his own chest now. "You deserved it. I'm trying to sleep, rookie, what do you want? What time is it?", Harvey threw his right arm on his eyes, making clear that he wasn't really interested on the answers. He just wanted to sleep. 

  


  


"It's five past Really-Early A.M. but you have to take these painkillers, boss. Come on", he answered, taking the pills and the glass from the table and handing them to Harvey, who let out a heavy sigh, took his arm off his face and finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw after his eyes adjusted to the darkness was his puppy. Really, not even Mike could deny that himself seemed like a cute little dog at that moment. He was now on the floor, kneeling but at the same time sitting on his feet, with his blond, fluffy, messy hair pointing everywhere and looking at Harvey with a beggining of a sleepy smile. Harvey wouldn't be surprised if he saw a tail shaking happily as well. He swallowed the pills without the water - " _I'm not a kid, Mike_ " -, rolled his eyes and settled himself back in the couch, getting ready to go back to sleep. 

  


  


"No!", Mike shouted. Harvey opened the eyes startled and furrowed his eyebrows confused. "You can't sleep in here. It must be uncomfortable as hell." 

  


  


"It must be more comfortable than your own bed."

  


  


"But it is more uncomfortable than _your_ own bed", Mike smiled, knowing he won this banter. "Come on, let's get you up", he got up and helped Harvey do the same. They headed to the beedroom with a little bit of difficulty and embarassment - Harvey with his right arm over Mike’s shoulders and Mike with his left arm around Harvey’s waist - but they were both okay with that position. 

  


  


Once Mike finished helping Harvey settle on the king-sized bed, he started walking out of the bedroom slowly and rubbing his eyes. 

  


"Where are you going?" Mike turned around and saw Harvey with the most incredible and beautiful case of bed hair he had ever seen staring at him and waiting for an answer. 

  


  


"I thought we could switch now. You take the bed and I take the couch. Why?", he explained still rubbing his right eye with his hand. 

  


  


"Stop doing that, you look like a child." Mike obeyed and dropped his arm on his side, pouting. Harvey rolled his eyes. "Come here." Mike did as he was told again and got under the sheets Harvey had lifted for him. "Now shut up and let me sleep, will you?" Mike nodded with a grin and put his head and hands on his boss' chest. Harvey smiled and started ruffling the blond hair helping the other man fall sleep. "Good boy". 


	3. Chapter 3

Harvey woke up feeling so much better the next morning. He twisted his ankle slowly and the pain coming from it wasn’t something he couldn’t cope with. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the side, staring at Mike, who was sleeping on his stomach and now cuddling with one of the fluffy white pillows Harvey kept on bed. He felt kind of angry at the pillow and the fact Mike would rather hug it than Harvey but then he started to really think about the situation he got himself into. He was sleeping with his associate. Not in the sexual way, but they really crossed some lines by doing that. And last night! Mike kissed him while he was on lis lap. And drunk. Harvey was definitely getting sued and Mike would get all his money. He wouldn't even defend himself. He took advantage of his own employee, he should face the consequences. ‘God, Jessica was going to be _pissed_ ’, he thought.

Mike began to stir next to him and he shifted his gaze to the ceiling, trying to avoid the upcoming confrontation as much as he could. 

"I can't believe I slept with you but didn't really slept with you", Mike pouted and Harvey had to look at him. "Seriously, that was really lame. What do you say we do it now? How do you feel about morning sex?", the blond man was already on top of Harvey even before finishing the question. He started to kiss Harvey's collarbone and was moving his hands underneath his boss’s t-shirt when Harvey grabbed his wrists. "Stop it, Mike. We cannot do this". 

"We can and we are already doing it, so relax and appreciate the fact a guy, like, 30 years younger than you is laying on top of you and willing to give all the pleasure you want."

"First of all, I am _so_ not 30 years older than you", he said and heard Mike murmuring a "yeah, right" into his neck while nipping it and giving soft kisses. "Second, this is all kinds of wrong and we shouldn't be doing this. I am serious, Mike. Stop." 

Mike lifted his head and saw the look of certainty in his boss's eyes, groaned and got out of bed. "If you weren't so hot and my boss, I'd tell you to go fuck yourself. But", he said, putting his skinny jeans back on, "since you happen to be both of those things and I happen to be a very good-looking and patient man, I think I can wait for you to end with this ridiculous denial", he said rolling his eyes. "Now, do I have to help you get up or the princess can take care of herself now?"

"Seriously, Mike, how are you able to talk that much in so little time?", Harvey asked, avoiding the main topic of the conversation and getting up. "And after just waking up. I did think you were not a morning person, since you have the habit of always showing up late at work."

"Well, what can I say?", he said making his way to the door, "Being around you makes me a better person", he answered on a girly voice tone, flicking his eyelids and putting the back of his hand on his forehead. He left the bedroom laughing, right after Harvey had thrown a pillow at him. 

\--------------------------------------------------------

Mike was on the kitchen, searching for something in the top cabinets when Harvey arrived there.

“You’re still here?”, he asked, making his associate turn to him.

“Well, yeah. You take me to bed and don’t even want me to have breakfast? By the way, where the hell is the cereal? I mean, you do have some here, right?”

“I’d appreciate if you could just stop taking about what happened last night and forget about it okay?”, he answered, pinching the bridge of his nose and walking towards his phone. “And no, I do not have cereal because I don’t have any kids here, so just call this number and ask for anything you want. They’ll deliver it here.” He put the phone and a piece of paper on the counter and opened the fridge. “Meanwhile, you can have some orange juice.”

“Nah, thanks, I can eat something on my way to the nursing home. I'll take the juice though”. Mike filled a glass of the cool liquid, took a sip and sat on one of the stools. “I’m assuming your foot is better.”

“Yeah. The painkillers worked really well.”, he said, taking a seat in front of Mike across the counter and also filling a glass of juice for him. 

“I did a really god job by distracting you from the pain too, didn’t I?”, Mike asked, wiggling his eyebrows and smirking. Sometimes he could be such a child. Harvey sighed.

“Mike, what happened last night and this morning can’t happen again. Yes, I do find you attractive and yes, I did like what happened and the way you moved and kissed and did that thing with your mouth...", he cleared his throat. "But that can’t happen again. Ever again. We’re already so deep in trouble with all your diploma matter and I cannot risk my job more than that for you. So no, we are not kissing, nor having sex nor having any kind of touching anymore. Is that clear?”

“As crystal”, Mike pouted, resting his chin on his hand and his elbow on the counter. “That doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to change your mind though”, he continued with a wide smile. Harvey closed his eyes, sighing again and shook his head. “Why did I have to hire such a stubborn and irritating associate? You’re my karma, I’m pretty sure of that.”

“You love me”, Mike laughed and stood up. “Well, I have to go now. Grandma is waiting for me. Oh, make sure you take those painkillers again at 11 A.M., okay? After that, as you said you were feeling better, I don’t think you need to take them one more time.”

“Wait, here”, Harvey said, taking some money of his wallet and handing it to Mike. “Take a cab, you’ll arrive faster.”

“Thanks, boss, but I can’t take it. And also, my bike is downstairs”.

“Take it as my way of thanking for making me company yesterday. And also”, he said, immitating Mike, “that thing is better off on the garbage and you know that.”

“Hey, don’t talk about Harvey like that!”

“What?”, he asked following Mike to the front door.

“Yeah. Harvey. It’s my bike’s name.”

“I’m not sure if I’m more worried about the fact you gave a name to your bike or the fact that you named it after me”, Harvey said.

“Well, at least I can ride _that_ Harvey everyday, right?”, Mike winked at Harvey and closed the door. Harvey could hear Mike laughing out loud on his way to the elevator as he stared speechless at the closed door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in my mind, Mike and Ben are like us. Fanboys, Shippers, Tumblr users and stuff like that. And I added Foster The People to the story because a) they're awesome; b) there are two songs by them on Suits OST, so it's not like it's something impossible to happen; c) Mike does look like someone who listens to some indie songs.
> 
> I'm sorry if there's any mistake on it. I just finished writing and my mom is making me get out of the computer. :p
> 
> Hope you like this chapter!

The week after that weekend went as normal as it could be, except the fact Mike was smiling so much more than he used to. Harvey couldn't understand what was the reason he was so happy about it, since he kind of crushed the kid's dream of making out with his boss for good. What he didn't know was that Mike really liked a challenge and having one which the reward is having Harvey just for himself...well, that wasn't a chance he got everyday, so he wasn't let it slip by.

It was Tuesday afternoon and they were at the limo - Mike sitting too close for Harvey's liking - coming back from a lunch meeting with some important client when the associate's phone started to ring. Since Mike was really close, Harvey could get a glimpse of the screen before the other could answer it. There was a photo of some guy making an unamused expression looking at the camera, wearing a white shirt and a skinny tie. Harvey could imagine Mike all happy and jumpy asking Whatshisname to take a picture of him so he could put on his phone and everytime he called, it would appear his face - all that while the other man just fought not to roll his eyes at Mike's excitement over nothing. Classic Mike.

"Hey, Ben!", Mike said on his phone. So Ben is his name. Huh. Harvey started wondering how Mike met this man and what he is to his associate. "What's up?"

"What?!", Mike asked incredulous at what Ben had said. "You're kidding. Are you kidding? Please tell me you're not kidding, seriously, dude". Mike waited for the answer and started laughing. "Oh, my God, I love you!" 

Harvey frowned at that. He was getting too curious. Who is this Ben guy? Why was he calling Mike? And why did Mike love him? (By the way, it's not like Harvey wanted to eavesdrop Mike's conversation. They were at the back of a car and there wasn't really anything else for Harvey to hear anyway.)

"Okay, I'll be there in 15, 20 minutes. We'll sort this out. But I'm sure my awesome boss could release me earlier on Friday", he said, now looking at Harvey with a smile on his lips and starting to place his hands on Harvey's knee until the "no-touching rule" came in his mind and he rested his right hand on his own knee instead."Okay, see you soon".

Harvey looked at him suspicious and asked, "Why do you want to leave earlier on Friday? And why do you think I'm letting you do that?"

"So, there's this band, they're really awesome. Foster The People, have you listened to one of their songs? They're great. And on the radio all the time. Anyways, they're gonna play in New York this Friday, but it was already sold out when I went online to buy the tickets. Apparently, Ben - do you know Ben, right? He runs the IT department of the firm. He's awesome - Ben got some tickets and since he knew I really wanted to go, he gave me one!"

By the time Mike finished explaining, they were already out of the car and heading to the Pearson Hardman Building. "Please, Harvey, let me leave earlier next Friday. I promise I'll finish everything you want until there. _Pleaaase_!" Harvey looked at Mike when they were entering the elevator and oh, there it was. Those damn puppy eyes. He really should've seen it coming.

"I'll think about it."

"Yeah!", Mike cheered next to him, punching the air. "You know, if you want, I can help you think about it. How about tonight? I can go to your place and give you some massage, maybe some kisses, maybe more...", he said, leaning towards Harvey. "You know, just so you could be more relaxed and think about it without anything worrying you."

 

"Mike", he said, between his teeth. "I told you to-", he was cut by the elevator doors opening and some people joining them on the ride. Mike just looked at Harvey trying to recompose himself and started giggling.

  
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Harvey said, "You're fired". That only made Mike laugh way more.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Few minutes later, Mike excused himself from Harvey's office and went to the 22nd floor, where the IT department was located. 

"Ben! Benji, my man!", Mike said as soon as he spotted Ben on the sea of machines and computers.

"It's Benjamin, Mike. How do you have a memory like that and keep forgetting this?", the brunette asked without looking from 

the computer screen. "Here", he handed two tickets for Mike.

"Wait, two? You're not going?"

"I am, but I have two extras. You can take a friend, a date, your grandma, I don't know, just do whatever you want with it", he looked now to Mike, asked him to lean closer to where he was sitting and whispered, "Just please don't take Harvey". Mike started protesting but Ben continued, "I know you have some weird crush on him, but seriously, I wouldn't have fun hanging out with a guy who happens to be my boss and kinda owns the company I work". 

Mike sighed, straighting himself up. "Fine. He wouldn't want to go anyway. But that would be a great thing for my MHM plan."

"MH-what?"

"The Make-Harvey-Mine plan", he whispered, after getting closer to Ben.

"Oh. My. God.", Ben started laughing and some people looked at him. He lowered his voice, "That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life. And I've already listened to SouljaBoy songs. Wanna grab a beer tonight and tell me all about your evil plan?"

"Hey, it's not evil! And yeah, sure. I just have to do some boring lawyer stuff for Harvey and we can go. I might finish it by 8, 8:30. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, sure", he answered still laughing. They fist-bumped and Mike hurried to try to get the elevator doors still open.

\--------------------------------------------------------

It was 7PM when Harvey came to Mike's cubicle before leaving just to check if the kid was getting work done. Really. 

"Are you getting work done?", Harvey asked. See? 

Mike took his earbuds off and handed a manila folder to his boss. "No, because I already did it. Everything you're gonna need for tomorrow's trial is here. I was going to say you don't have to thank me..."

"I don't, I pay you for doing this". Harvey interrupted, but Mike continued, "...However, I would like you to consider that request I did this afternoon."

"Which one? Letting you leave early that one day or taking you to my place tonight?", Harvey said without thinking and when he finished the sentence, he knew he was in trouble. He looked around and thanked God there wasn't anyone else in the associates area that moment. When he returned his eyes to Mike, he found the blond one smirking at him.

"Well, well...look who's been considering taking my offer all day long. I was talking about next Friday, since you turned me down and I've already made plans with Ben tonight. Nothing that I could reschedule though. Do you want me to go home with you tonight, Harvey?", smile spreading on his lips. Harvey gazed at Mike for a few seconds, lost on the beautiful smile and those baby blue eyes that contradicted his very adult suggestion, then shook his head, wishing his thoughts would just go away.

"You can leave early the day you asked, but only if there isn't anything else important for you to do. See you tomorrow, Mike". Harvey left, without giving a chance for Mike to reply.

\--------------------------------------------------------

"So, tell me about your strategy", Ben asked, while the bartender placed one beer in front of each man.

"An offensive one", Mike said simply. "I'm kinda throwing myself at him."

"Wow. I didn't take you for a-"

"Slut?", Mike interrupted smiling sheepishly.

"Well, I was going to say 'straightforward guy', but yeah, that's my point", he laughed.

"I'm usually not like that. I enjoy subtle flirting, not knowing which one is going to make the first move and the feeling when someone finally does...But you see, Harvey and I had lunch with a client at some fancy restaurant some weeks ago and he was totally hitting on Harvey. I mean, he wasn't being subtle at all.", Mike stopped explaining for a few seconds to drink some beer. "And I could see Harvey was liking the attention he was getting and the way he was saying those things to him. I don't know, I felt like I had to be like him to make Harvey like me the way I want him to like me, you know?"

"I get it.", said Ben. "But maybe it's not the way you should be doing this. It's just not you. Harvey should like you because of the things the real Mike does."

"I don't know, Ben. He really seemed to like when we were making out on his couch and I was sitting on his lap and then-"

"Ew! What is it? TMI Tuesday?!"

Mike laughed at his friend's disgusted face. "As a matter of fact, it is."

Ben just rolled his eyes and moved his hands as a way of asking Mike to continue.

"Anyway, the cheesy things won't work with Harvey. He doesn't seem the type of going on regular dates. And dates that include pizza, TV series and then some sex. Those are my favorite ones."

"Mine too", Ben smiled and sighed. "Man, I wish you were a woman so I could just marry you."

"You know gay marriage is legal here, right? I think it's easier for you to go gay for me than me undergoing a sex change surgery 

for you". 

"I'll take that in consideration. You'll have the answer by next week, Mr. Ross", Ben and Mike stared at each other seriously 

before starting cracking up.

When both men stopped laughing, Ben concluded, "This is going to sound like some of that lame sentences people include in hipster pictures on Tumblr, but seriously, just be yourself and he'll fall for you."

"That really was lame", Mike said smiling, "but yeah, maybe I should quit the slut approach then."

"Yeah, yeah. Now can we please talk about Fringe's last episode? I mean, _What. The. Fuck._?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Harvey, do you have a minute?", Mike asked from the senior partner office door. Harvey looked up from the file he was reading and noticed for the first time that day how bad Mike looked.

"Did you get drunk last night?"

"Wh-what? No! I mean, I drank a little and I had to take a cab to go home, but I didn't get drunk. I was just...you know, happier than usual", he said and saw that Harvey didn't buy his explanation at all. 

"Happier", Harvey huffed, "I remember well what happened when you got happier than usual at my place". Harvey frowned as he thought, ' _Wait, did that mean Mike also got handsy with that Ken, Ben, guy?_ '

"Yeah, that's what I'm gonna talk to you about", Mike said blushing, scratching the back of his neck with one hand. He looked over his shoulders for a brief moment and then returned his gaze to his boss. "Could you turn that thing off? I want to talk to you alone".

"No need, Donna knows about what happened".

"What?! You told her?", Mike groaned.

"Didn't have to", Harvey said matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me she planted bugs on your apartment", Mike said with a light smile on his lips and then got serious again. "Oh, my God, she did, didn't she?!"

"Mike, you're stalling. Just say what you want to say so I could get back to work - something that you should do too, by the way. And Donna, give us some privacy for a moment, would you?" 

Mike heard the assistant sighing and then a click right after. "So...I wanted to apologize for my behavior these past days. I was out of line and I shouldn't act like that around you and no one else, actually". Harvey nodded at the 'no one else' part. "I just thought it was something you...Well, it doesn't matter what I thought, I was wrong."

"It's okay, rookie.", he said and started loooking away from Mike and redirect his attention to the file on his hands.

"Wait, I didn't finish it. Here", he said, taking an envelope from his suit pocket and handing it to Harvey, who looked at it suspiciously for a few seconds before taking it. "I was thinking of getting you a real gift, you know, as a way of apologizing, but you are loaded and probably already have everything you want, so..."

' _Not everything_ ', Harvey thought eyeing Mike. He opened the envelope and there were three pieces of paper of the size of Harvey's palm. He observed intently at those little cards and started reading the sentences that were on Mike's neat handwriting.

The first one was like this:

> **The Shutting Mike Up Card**
> 
> _When you get overwhelmed by Mike Ross's awesomeness, brightness, intelligence, smart-assness and all f his amazing qualities, use this. By using_ _this card, you have the power of telling Mike to shut the hell up for how many hours necessary (the maximum is 24, let's not_
> 
> _make this a torture, ok?) around you and he will do it without complaining._
> 
> _  
> _
> 
> _It can only be used once, so please use it wisely. Or just don't use it, it's your call - even thought the last option is Mike's favorite_
> 
> _and you should take it in consideration._

_  
_

Harvey snorted lightly and started to read the second. 

> **Praise The Harvey! Card**
> 
> _Everytime you need someone to follow you around worshipping the ground you walk on (not literally), use this. By using this card,_ _your amazing associate Mike Ross will take the day to praise you and say the most amazing things about you, because God_ _knows how much you love being the center of attention - and by 'God' I mean the real one, not you._
> 
> _  
> _
> 
> _WARNING: Be careful. This card may cause Mike Ross's (and other people who happen to be around) suffocation by how your_ _ego can inflate and take the whole space, leaving no room for oxygen._

A wide smile was already on his face when he started to read the last one.

> The Get Your Skinny Tie Out Of My Face Card
> 
> _We all know how much Mike Ross can be irritating (and he does it on purpose, just so you know), so this card is your way out of_ _your associate's stubbornness and unwanted advances. Fill in the blanks below and use it:_
> 
> _  
> _
> 
> _I would like Mike Ross to stay ________ ft. from me for the next _______ ( ) minutes  ( )hours._

When Harvey finished reading the cards, he placed them on the table and looked at Mike, smirking.

"These things might be useful someday", he said smirking and saw a flash of a smile on Mike's lips.

"So...does that mean you forgive me?", the associate asked scratching the back of his neck and blushing a little. Harvey sighed and nodded. "Thanks, Harvey. And I'm sorry, really."

"Yeah, yeah, now could you please leave me alone and go back to work?"

"Are you already using one of your presents?", Mike smirked.

"No, I'm using my infinite stock of ' _Harvey Says, Mike Obeys_ ' cards. Go. Now."

Mike pouted, sighed and left the office. Harvey still could see Mike's face when he started smiling after he passed Donna on his way to his cubicle.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Friday came in no time. Waking up at the right time of the morning wasn't a easy task to fulfill, since Harvey couldn't sleep the night before. No matter how hard he tried to think about the most various things - basketball games, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, even the new episode of Hell's Kitchen that was on TV -, his mind kept coming back to that associate of his. ' _Does Mike like basketball? Maybe I should take him to one game and then we could have dinner at Giorgio's_ ' or ' _I should teach Mike how to manage his finances. I bet he's spending all of his money in videogames or something_ ' and ' _Gordon Ramsay's hair looks just like Mike's. Except Mike's hair is shorter, and blonder, and flufflier, and..._ '. So Harvey did the one thing he knew it would stop this thoughts from keeping coming. He got wasted at his own house alone and had a date with his own warm hands, which may or may not be the most loser thing he has ever done.

So he arrived at the office at 9 AM and his assistant followed him into the room, giving him the daily updates and that day's schedule. Also, according to Donna, Mike had arrived at the firm before she did, and Harvey had to frown at that fact.

"He even left a cup of my favorite coffee at my desk! He asked me to tell him when you arrive, so that he could go downstairs and bring you some for you too. By the way, I have to go tell him you're here."

"Wait, wait, wait. Since when do you take orders from the puppy?", Harvey asked still frowning and seating on his chair.

"Didn't you hear anything I said? He brought me coffee! The right one. And I didn't even asked him to do it."

"Why is he acting like that anyway?", he was still thinking it was all very odd, hence the frown and suspiscious tone. 

"It's the day of that stupid concert he's going. He seems pretty excited. Are you going too, right?"

Harvey looked at Donna like she had said the most stupid thing and started laughing. "Of course I'm not going! Why would I wanna go at some shitty concert of some shitty band? Really, Donna?" She just smirked and left.

Later that day, Harvey was coming back from Jessica's office when he passed by Rachel's one and heard Mike asking her to go out with him that night. He hurried back to his office and leaned on Donna's cubicle, smiling.

"So, Donna, about that concert..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild, jealous, ninja stalker Harvey appears!

Harvey had no idea what a G6 was, but judging by the way Mike was moving, this G6 thing was obviously  _really_ sexy. He was at the venue where the concert his associate talked about the whole week was going to happen on a mission. Some people (Donna) would say he was stalking Mike, but really, he was just trying to observe the kid on his natural habitat. Mike was wearing a black jeans (‘Damnit, even his jeans are skinny!’) who fit incredibly well on him, [a dark blue t-shirt and his hair was unbelievably amazing](http://itsclicheiknow.tumblr.com/post/19855509482/those-eyes-ahhhhh). It looked like Mike combed his golden hair forward even though it also looked like it hadn’t been combed at all, since it was all messy and fluffy and shiny and...Well, Harvey liked it - even if it made Mike seem way younger than he really was and also making Harvey’s thoughts sound inappropriate.   
  
Getting the ticket for the concert wasn’t as difficult as he thought it was. He recalled Mike mentioning that it was sold out, but that’s why when he decided he had to attend this show, he went straight to Donna. She was his go-to guy, except she wasn’t a guy and most of the time, he really didn’t have to go to her. She had the ability of just going to him with something he had just thought of doing or buying, and for that, he was forever grateful. And also because of that, once a month he handed his credit card to her and gave her a day-off with just a ‘ _Have fun_ ’ and a hint of a smile.   
  
That day Donna proved to be the best assistant/life manager of the world once again when she placed an envelope with the concert ticket on Harvey’s desk after only two hours he asked her to get one for him. Damn, that woman. She really deserved a raise. Another one.   
  
So, back to when Harvey was stalk-- studying Mike. Apparently, he arrived early, since the band hadn’t been on the stage yet and the DJ of the house was playing songs that Harvey hadn’t listened to before nor understood the lyrics. The venue was incredibly crowded though and it took Harvey a while to find Mike on that sea of kids wearing outfits that offended every part of his being. He found his associate after a few minutes looking in the crowd carefully, so he couldn’t be discovered. (Again, he was definitely not stalking Mike. But you know, scientists shouldn’t disturb the object of the study by interfering on his habitat. Hence, the disguise.)   
  
Mike was talking excitedly with that IT guy, Rachel The Paralegal and some other girl, while holding one beer bottle and jamming to the song. He seemed to be having a good time since he couldn’t stop smiling, not even when he sipped his beer. Harvey decided he liked the outside-work-Mike and hey, maybe he should ask Mike to hang out with him and be the one who put that wide smile on his face. You know, as friends.   
  
Harvey wasn’t standing very close to Mike and his friends, but far enough he could watch them and not be discovered. His dark jeans and black shirt helped his “ninja mode” too, as he secretly called it. Donna was right when she said one day that Harvey was a 15-year-old teenager trapped in a 35-year-old body.   
  
The lights that were quite dim turned off entirely along with the hip-hop song and people started screaming and cheering. It was about to begin, then, Harvey thought. ‘ Finally, let’s get this over already so I can go home after make sure Mike also did it. Alone. I mean, safe and sound.’    
  
The lights of the stage suddenly turned on as the band got in and the large room was filled with the bright colors of the reflectors. It made Mike’s hair even shinier.   
  
The band wasn’t that bad, Harvey thought, but it wasn’t his style either. He liked the songs that sounded smooth, light, and classic, not this  tuntz-tuntz things young people were so fond of those days. He wasn’t there for the music though.   
  
Mike was surely enjoying himself. He knew most of the lyrics of the songs and was singing along to them, as was the IT Guy and his lady. The Paralegal was dancing to the music, but it was clear to Harvey now - even from that distance - that she wasn’t a fan and she was there for a different reason. She kept shooting glances at Mike and dancing closer and closer to him. The associate didn’t seem to notice. He continued to pay attention to the band and at the moments between the end of a song and the start of another, he quickly went to the bar to get more beer for him.    
  
Harvey had counted five beers when a not-so-slow song started and Rachel placed her left hand on Mike’s back and rested her head on his shoulders. Mike switched his beer from one hand to another and wrapped his right arm on Rachel’s waist, who took that as an acceptance of her gesture and moved closer, wrapping her arms on Mike. “Not on my watch, Paralegal”, Harvey muttered angrily. He grabbed the shoulder of a young man who was just passing by him coming back from the bar and yanked him backward.    
  
“What the hell?!”, the kid said looking back.   
  
“I will give you fifty dollars if you drop your beer in that girl over there”, Harvey said and pointed to Rachel, carefully telling the guy what she was wearing so that he wouldn’t miss. (Sometimes, when the object of the study is in danger, the scientists must interfere in the situation...kinda.) He took a 50-dollar bill off his wallet, gave it to the guy who was grinning like a stoned idiot - he probably was one - and said, “You never talked to me, you never saw me”. The guy nodded and headed to Rachel’s direction, bumping into her and dropping half of his beer bottle on her yellow top.   
  
Harvey saw her flinching, saying a few words to the guy who quickly made his way into the crowd, and grinned when he noticed her arms weren’t around Mike anymore nor his around her. Rachel was cleaning herself with her hands when Mike said something to her, walked to the bar and returned to her holding some napkins. She took them slowly, thanked Mike and placed a kiss on his cheek. Mike blushed a little and smiled sheepishly, before finishing his own beer with just one shot. Harvey just got angrier.   
  
Rachel kept trying to make a move on Mike the whole time after that, maybe because she was slightly drunk or maybe because the IT guy was totally making out with the other girl and she kind of wanted to make out with someone too. And if that person happened to be Mike, well, it was okay for her. Not for Mike though. (And how Harvey loved him for that!) Rachel continued to hug Mike, to pass her hand and fingernails on his back over his shirt and saying things on Mike’s ear. Mike, on the other hand, just kept smiling, taking her hand off his back and holding it on his own, making way more trips to the bar. From where Harvey was watching, he could see Rachel thought she was on a date with Mike while his associate just wanted some company to watch his favorite band play. In other words, he was relieved.   
  
Mike was on beer #11 when the band said their goodbyes and thank-yous and finally left the stage. He was clearly drunk and for a second, Harvey remembered how drunk Mike acted and feared that he wouldn’t have the strength to keep denying the paralegal’s advances on him. But then, as Mike and his friends were passing near Harvey, with the girls leading the way to the front door and leaving the two men slightly behind, he heard Mike saying to the IT Guy in a slurred and drunken speach: “Oh, man, this would’ve been sooooo much fun if you’d just let me bring Harvey instead of her”.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry it took me so long to update it and I also apologize for any mistakes - as I said before, English is not my native language but I do my best to write everything correctly. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading! :)

Harvey woke up the next morning with his cellphone buzzing at the night table by his bed. He opened his eyes slowly and reached for the phone, noticing that his bedroom was way too bright for his liking. He slid his fingers on the screen without looking at it and placed his phone between his ear and shoulder.   
  
“Harvey Specter”, he murmured sleepily.   
  
“Oh, hey, Harv! You took so long to answer, are you busy?”, Mike said way too cheerly. Wasn’t he supposed to be hangover?    
  
“I was doing something really important actually, and you just interrupted me.”   
  
“What was it?”   
  
“What was what?”, Harvey asked, rolling on his back on the bed and stretching his arms and legs.   
  
“What were you doing that was really important? Is it work? Do you need my help?”. Harvey was going to answer when Mike continued, “Or was it something personal? Do you have someone with you? No, don’t answer me. Wait, yes, answer me, please.”   
  
“Mike, shut up. I was sleeping. Alone”, he reassured him. “Why did you call me?”   
  
“Sleeping? Do you know what time it is? It’s almost noon, Harvey! I didn’t take you for a lazy person who sleeps through the day. Either way, I haven’t slept with you to know that”. Mike answered casually and Harvey couldn’t help but notice the ommited “yet” in the sentence. “Anyway, I called because I need to know if you want to have lunch with me. Do you?”   
  
“Why do you want to have lunch with me?”, Harvey asked, feeling a little bit more awake.   
  
“Ah, you know...to thank you for letting me leave early yesterday. So, how’s it gonna be? ‘ _Yes_ ’ or ‘ _of course, my lovely associate_ ’?”   
  
“You have issues, you do know that, don’t you?”, Harvey sighed, lifted his blankets and got off the bed, stretching his back one more time. “Fine, I’ll have lunch with you, my  _annoying_ associate. Where are we going?”   
  
“Yeah, about that...”, Mike said and Harvey knew he was up to something.   
  
“What now?”, he asked with no patience.   
  
“Hm. I’m kinda outside your building right now. I guess I’m not dressed as someone who works for you, because your new doorman didn’t even let me pass through the doors. So, can you call him and tell him that I am indeed your associate and that I can go to your condo, pleaaase?”   
  
Harvey just groaned and hang up on Mike. He went to his kitchen and buzzed his doorman, affirming that yes, the skinny blond kid is allowed to go upstairs. While waiting for Mike to arrive, he turned on his coffee machine and considered changing his clothes. Well, at least put on some, since he was used to sleep with nothing but boxers when he was alone. He decided that Mike was the one interrupting his weekend schedule and invading Harvey’s house without an advance notice, so he has no right to complain about it. Deep down, he knew he just wanted to see how the associate’s face would be when he looked at him.    
  
The doorbell rang and Harvey opened the door to see Mike struggling with two extremely full grocery bags on both arms. Okay, maybe that wasn’t too accurate. Harvey didn’t see Mike. He saw only his spiked, fluffy, blond hair behind the packages. He stared at the odd scene for a few seconds, before taking pity on the young man and helping him with one of the grocery bags.   
  
Mike got in the condo with a cheerful “Hi!” and made his way into the kitchen, leaving Harvey behind. The semi-naked man rolled his eyes, closed the door with his ankle - it recovered very well, thanks for asking - and followed Mike.   
  
The associate was just finishing putting the bag on the kitchen counter when Harvey got in the kitchen and did the same. And that’s when Mike finally noticed Harvey and his...nakedness.   
  
“Wow”, he said ogling Harvey’s body up and down.    
  
“Very subtle, puppy.”   
  
“Is this all for me?”, Mike asked grinning, now looking at Harvey’s eyes.   
  
“Funny, I was going to ask the same. What is all that?”, Harvey asked pointing to all the food placed on his counter.   
  
“I’m gonna cook for you! I mean, us, because I’m going to eat too.”, he answered with a big smile on his face. “Do you like pasta, right? Everybody loves pasta, what am I even asking? Hey, do you have an apron?”   
  
“Slow down, Mike. God, have I told you that you talk way too much?”   
  
“Yes, several times.”   
  
“And you haven’t taken any of those times as a sign that I want you to shut up? Actually, I think you did, and you’re just disobedient. I hate when people disobey me, rookie”, he said, giving Mike a hard glare.   
  
“Pffft, come on, you love it when I challenge you.” Mike said, showing no sign of being affected by his boss’s stare. “So, the apron, where is it?”   
  
His boss didn’t denied the affirmation and just pointed to the cleaning area, where Mike went and returned it few moments later, trying to lace it behind him.    
  
“Here, help me”, he said, walking to Harvey then turning around, standing with his back to him.    
  
“Are you saying that you aren’t capable of making this knot yourself?”, Harvey said amused but didn’t wait for the answer. He stood closer to Mike, his breathe touching the young man’s ear while he worked with the apron laces. Mike was just leaning closer to Harvey when the other man said that he was finished and gave two steps back.   
  
Mike turned around and looked at Harvey’s face, then his eyes wandered again through his collarbone, his chest, his abs, his boxers waistband and then his--   
  
“Well, since you’re all set, I’m gonna put on some clothes”.   
  
“No!”, Mike said almost instantaneously. “I mean, if you’re comfortable dressed-- actually, undressed like this, you should stay like this. I don’t mind  _at all_ ”.   
  
“Nice try. I’ll be right back”, Harvey said and left the kitchen, noticing the pouting coming from the other man.   
  
\---------------   
  
When Harvey returned to the kitchen after taking a shower and putting some jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, Mike was already getting things done. He sit on the chair by the counter and started chatting with the younger man, watching him work. Mike, being the pool of knowledge that he was, could talk about everything and kept the conversation flowing well. They talked about food preferences, movies they had seen, a little bit of work - which made Mike realize that Harvey was not working in that moment, so he handed some vegetables for him to slice and nominated him his assistant chef - and the previous night concert.   
  
“They are really awesome live, Harvey. You should’ve seen it.”, Mike told him, washing his hands in the sink, then drying them on the towel resting on his right shoulder.   
  
“Maybe next time”, he said, glancing briefly to him.   
  
“You’d be a much more behaved company, I suppose”, Mike leaned his back in the counter, his shoulder touching Harvey’s, who was still slicing some carrots.   
  
“What does that mean?”, he dropped the knife and looked to the side, where Mike was standing close. Mike was staring at the pan that was in front of him, the one with the sauce that was starting to boil.   
  
“Well, I invited Rachel to come with me. But I guess she thought I was asking her out, you know? On a date. It was really awkward, to say the least.”   
  
“She seems to be a very nice girl”, Harvey lied.   
  
“Yeah, she totally is. I mean, she’s funny, easygoing, beautiful...”.    
  
Harvey pulled a face and turned his attention to the carrots. “These are all good adjectives, rookie”.   
  
“I know. But you see, all of these nice adjectives don’t even come closer to the ones I have in mind for the person I really like.” Harvey looked to Mike once more, and this time the other one looked right back at him, with a sheepish, sad smile on his lips. “Anyway”, Mike broke the eye contact and left Harvey’s side to work again on the sauce, “this is almost done. What about the vegetables?”   
  
“What?”, Harvey shook his head to reorganize his thoughts. “Oh, it’s done”.   
  
“Great!”   
  
\--------------------------   
  
Harvey wasn’t a big fan for domestic scenes, but he had to admit that that one was really nice. Having lunch with Mike in the balcony on a Saturday afternoon, the sun as a warm feeling on his back and a pair of blue eyes causing a warm feeling in his heart. He could get used to that.   
  
“Mike...”   
  
“Harvey...”, they said at the same time. Mike giggled and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “Go ahead.”   
  
“The food was amazing, thank you”.   
  
Mike shook his head. “There’s no need to thank me, it was my pleasure. This was what I was going to say, actually.” He scratched the back of neck and hold his glass of wine, looking at everywhere but Harvey. “I’d like to do more of these things for you, if you want to. I really like you, Harv. I know that you said that it wasn’t going to happen - you probably has 146 reasons of why this wouldn’t work - but can’t you at least give it a try? That’s all I ask. You go out on a date with me once, just once, and then you decide what you want to do.”   
  
Harvey sighed and asked Mike to look at him. When he finally did, he said, “It’s more complicated that that, Mike”.   
  
“You don’t like me? That one time I threw myself at you wasn’t the real me, I already told you that. I just thought you liked people who were like that. I told you I’m sorry, I’m not a slut”, he explained eagerly.   
  
“I don’t think you are a slut, Mike”, Harvey snorted. “It’s that--”   
  
“You don’t like men, then?”   
  
“Are you going to keep interrupting me?”, Harvey smirked with one eyebrow raised and continued when Mike shook his head. “I am into men and especially into you, but I don’t...damn, Mike, I don’t know how to do this. I’m great at a lot of things but being in a relationship isn’t exactly one of my strenghts. I’ve had girlfriends before, of course, but none of them lasted long enough to be called a relationship, to be honest. I got used to being single, picking up some girl or guy at the bar, take them home, release my stress on bed and get the hell out of there. It’s just who I am.”   
  
Harvey finished explaining and Mike didn’t speak right away, letting it all sink in. After a minute or so, he asked quietly, “Is that a ' no '?”   
  
The brunette leaned back in his chair before answering, “No. It’s not a ‘yes’ either. Let me think about it, okay?”   
  
Mike nodded and got on his feet.   
  
“Where are you going? You don’t have to leave. Only if you want to, of course.”   
  
“I was going to wash these dishes”, he said, taking his and Harvey’s plates off the table. “They’re not gonna wash themselves”.   
  
“No, but there’s this thing called dishwasher that does just that. Haven’t you heard of it?”, Harvey smirked while Mike rolled his eyes and left to the kitchen. “See, that’s funny, because you know what a dishwasher is”, Harvey said a little bit loud so that Mike would hear him.   
  
He wouldn’t normally let his guest do these kind of chores, but Harvey knew they both needed the time to put their thoughts in place. The night before, he was so sure he would do anything to make Mike his and not let any paralegal touch him, but when the blond brought it up, he froze. He wanted to say ‘yes’, he wanted to say lots of beautiful things to Mike, yet how could he? He didn’t know a thing about being in a real relationship, he didn’t really know how to be a good boyfriend, how to act cute, attentive and...caring. Because that’s what Mike deserved and that’s what he couldn’t offer him. He had Mike right where he wanted, but he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to let Mike down. And most of all, he was  **terrified** of trying and failing at making Mike happy.


	8. Chapter 8

Mike left the condo some time after The Talk - as Harvey was referring to it in his head - to visit his grandmother. This man could be extremely anxious, waiting for The Answer (Harvey should stop capitalizing words in his mind, it’s starting to get weird), but he’d do his best to look happy and peaceful in front of his grandma in order not to worry her. The result of years of practice.   
  
Harvey, however, wasn’t used to being uneasy so he asked Donna to come over few minutes and two drinks after his associate was gone.  _Donna will know what I should do_ , he thought,  _she’ll help me see things clearer_ . And she did.   
  
When she arrived at Harvey’s apartment, she was still unaware of what had happened and a little bit preoccupied with his boss’s tone on the phone. Harvey answered the door and she got in, taking her scarf and making herself at home.    
  
“Thanks for coming”, Harvey said offering her a glass of scotch, which she politely refused. If they were gonna talk about something important, the least she could do was being at her best self. Harvey, on the other hand, just shrugged and filled his glass with the alcohol that was supposed to be Donna’s.   
  
“You should go easy on that”, she nodded at his now completely full glass and took a sit at the end of the couch. Harvey crossed the room and sat beside her, but not so close.   
  
“It’s your own fault. If you had just accepted the drink, I wouldn’t have to drink it”, he smirked and took a sip of it. Donna stared unimpressed at him for few seconds and sighed, reclining on the sofa.    
  
“So, as much as I like to come over your place on a Saturday to watch you get drunk, I’m assuming there’s another reason you called me, right?”   
  
“Yes, there is”, Harvey answered and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and holding the glass with both hands. “Mike asked me out on a date”.   
  
“Finally!”, she said louder than usual and raised her hands to the sky - more like the ceiling, actually - until she realized something and dropped them. “Wait, you agreed, right?” Harvey didn’t have to answer, he just looked at her with a half-hearted look in his eyes and she just knew. “Oh, Harvey, what did you say to him?”   
  
“That I was going to think about it”, he answered this time and looked back at the glass.   
  
“I don’t know what there is to think about! Mike is cute, handsome, funny, likes to challenge you, has a good chance to be great in bed...”, she pointed out, using one finger for each quality.   
  
“It’s not him I’m worried about. Mike is an amazing, brilliant, serious relationship kind of guy.”   
  
That’s when Donna finally figured out what the problem was. “Harvey, come on. I’ve known you for the last seven years and you don’t have to tell me you’re not a relationship expert, because I know that. But that’s not an irreversible cause. No one is born with the knowledges of how to behave in a relationship. As a matter of fact, these things aren’t written in some book that you could just read and learn from it. They’re different for every couple.” Donna notices how Harvey flinches at the word ‘ _couple_ ’ but doesn’t say anything about it. “Maybe you think you’re not ready for it and is afraid of hurting him but let me tell you something, just the fact that you’re worried about how you’re gonna treat Mike is already a sign that you’re cut out for this.”   
  
When Harvey didn’t say anything in response, she added with a smile, “You  _care_ about him”. That made Harvey groan and throw his head back on the couch, his eyes closed. He didn’t deny it.   
  
“What happened to me? Everything was so much easier when I had no such things as...feelings”.   
  
“Love did”, Donna answered and Harvey lifted his head up, glaring at her.   
  
“It was a rhetorical question, Donna. And even if it weren’t, that wouldn’t be the answer.”   
  
“Is that so? What would it be, then?”, she asked for amusement, taking the glass from his hands and sipping it.   
  
“Poisoning. Mike must have given me something along with the painkillers when I sprained my ankle. That’s the only logical reason.”   
  
“Sure it is.”   
  
Talking to Donna was a great improvement in his dilemma, but he wasn’t entirely convinced that he should say ‘yes’ to Mike. He remembered that Mike said that he could go out with him only once and then decide what path he would want to take. He kept thinking about it the rest of the weekend, writing a list of what could go wrong in that possible date and what would be the consequence of every situation. It’s not like Harvey was a negative person. He just liked to foresee every bad possible scenario so he could be ready when it actually happened.    
  
Only on Sunday night, when he was already in bed, he started to think of the good scenarios. If Mike and him got together, he would be able to kiss him, to touch him, to hold him whenever he wanted. Mike would be Harvey’s. No one else could do these things besides him. Mike could trust him completely - Harvey would make sure of it - and he could be the reason Mike’s smiles were more present than before. Yeah, he could definitely do that.   
  
\-----------------------------------------   
  
“Sorry, sorry! Oh, excuse me! Hold the elevator! I’m sorry! Thanks!” Mike was late. Again. It was 8:28 AM and he should have been at the office twenty-eight minutes ago with the paperwork Harvey requested the week before. Instead, he was running through a crowd of people at the main floor of the Pearson Hardman building to get to the elevator. At least he did that.   
  
He was going to hear about this. Harvey would complain about his lack of responsability, lack of sense of time and appearance...Oh, shit, my hair! He remembered that he didn’t straighten it up after taking the bike helmet and tried to do that without hitting someone in the face with his elbow. It was already 8:32 and the elevator screen placed above the door was telling him that he still was on the 14th floor.   
  
It wasn’t Mike’s fault, really. Harvey hadn’t called or texted him once since Mike left his condo with an open invitation to a date and that was driving him nuts. The associate couldn’t get a good night of sleep that weekend, because everytime he closed his eyes and started to drift into sleep, he thought he heard his cellphone buzzing and woke up. Of course he wasn’t going to tell Harvey that, but anyway, he was late.    
  
While he was literally running to get to Harvey’s office, Donna spotted him and looked at him with a disappointed look on his face. By the time he arrived there, she nodded her head towards the office and he got in, throwing her a thankful smile at her before doing so.   
  
“Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know I’m late, please don’t kill me”, he said panting and started to disentangle himself from his messenger bag. “Here’s everything you asked. The files with the research for the Isaacson case and the briefs I proofed for the Nicholas one.”    
  
Harvey took the folders and placed them on his desk. He looked at Mike, who was trying to catch his breath and finally said something. “Don’t think that only because I have a soft spot for you it doesn’t mean I can't punish you. Now get the hell out of here and get to work, something you should’ve been doing for the last hour.”   
  
“Hey, I’m only half an hour late!”, then he cocked his head and furrowed his eyebrows, realizing what Harvey just told him. “Wait, did you just say you have a soft spot for me?”   
  
“So you’re late and slow? Well, I can’t say these characteristics doesn’t fit together. Go”, he shooed Mike, who nodded and left the office with his lips pressed together, fighting back a smile.    
  
Donna looked back at Harvey and her voice filled his office through the intercom. “I’m guessing you've made your decision then.”   
  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about”, he said, smirking at her. “In something completely unrelated to what we were just discussing, I’d like you to make a dinner reservation at the best restaurant of this town for someday this week.” Harvey smiled and started to think on how he was going to tell Mike that  _yes, I would like very much to go out on a date with you_ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not a revealing chapter, but I guess it's better than nothing, right? ;)
> 
> Please, let me know if what are your thoughts about this story and if there's something I could improve or write in the next chapters. I'd like to know your inputs on this. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and see you soon!


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